Classic Airlines Marketing Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classic Airlines Marketing Solution - Essay Example This is irrespective of a manager’s educational background or their intellectual abilities as problem solving is a nurtured skill. Problems are a part of a business’s routine that helps it to grow. For instance, the objective of this paper will be to solve classic airlines marketing problem using the nine-step model by identifying and defining the problem. Additionally, it will tackle the objectives and obstacles available in the solving of the marketing problem of the airlines marketing department. Issues identification within Classic Airlines Classic airline is the world fifth largest airline with three hundred and seventy five jets in its stable. It has over two hundred and forty flight destinations with at least two--thousand three hundred flights in a day. Its existence is over twenty-five years, which has seen the company grow to having a total number of thirty two thousand employees. Its average turnover per year is between ten million and nine billion. Like any other business structure, Classic Airlines has had its part of challenges. The company witnessed intense plummet of its share price in the stock market because of flying uncertainties. In addition, the negative publicity exhibited by the public, the media and the Wall Street market have gravely affected employee morale hence affecting their overall performance. Problem statement In effect, the consumer confidence on the airline dwindled as the Classic customer reward program membership decreased by an alarming number. The number of flying times that the remaining Classic loyal customers reduced significantly over a short period. Some of the customers jumped ship to access services from the airlines competitors. Moreover, Classic Airline’s inability to meet the rising fuel and labor costs have made the airline unable to compete in a well represented market. In a counter approach move, the airline’s board of directors suggested a cost reduction measure for a period range of one and half years. Under the set period, Classic airline would be able to beef up its frequent flier programs that should bring a significant return on investment. SWOT analysis for the company Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Long time existence in the market Regular flight delays Investing on the changing customer needs Fierce competition from other players within the travel industry Internationally recognized brand The number of seats that a customer has to have for them to redeem their flier miles The recovery of the travelling industry Fluctuating global currency rates Customer loyalty to frequent flier programs Carelessness of staff leading to loss of client luggage The airlines’ good reputation with the labor unions High fuel and equipment costs Effective implementation of cost reduction measures Poor inter client and staff relationship Venturing in to new destinations both internationally and locally Sanctions imposed by the European Union on carbon emi ssions and the environment Good relations with its employees Reliance to old forms of travelling techniques Steps in problem solving for Classic Airline’s marketing problem Short-term issues Classic Airlines’ service product Ideally, the greatest, selling point of a product or service is the service product itself. In essence, a service is the act of approaching a need or want in an intangible manner where no one claims ownership.

The American Dream Essay Example for Free

The American Dream Essay What is the American Dream? The American Dream is an idea people have that they can have happy and successful lives if they work hard enough. Since the Mayflower brought over the first settlers, America has attracted people all over the world to relocate to our country just to start a new and free life. They all had a dream, something we call the â€Å"American Dream†. We may think the American Dream doesn’t mean much but for some it could mean everything. The American Dream can mean different things to each individual. For example, in the novel Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck, George and Lennie mentioned that they wanted to live on the fat of the land. This was their dream because George doesn’t want anybody around telling him what to do and Lennie wants to tend many of his own rabbits. Whereas, in the nonfiction story Of Plymouth Plantation written by Bradford, the pilgrims are brought to America to seek better lives. They wanted to escape religious persecution. Their dream was to be able to worship God and find land to own. America is known as the land of opportunity. People from other countries dream of bringing their families to the United States of America. They just want to own their own home and have stable jobs. We Americans don’t realize how lucky we are to be free. Other countries would give up anything to be given the opportunity to come here. The desire among many parents is for their children to lead happy lives. This is especially for immigrants because many of them left their home countries die to difficult living conditions. Although the concept of the American Dream is well known most people don’t realize how long it’s been around. Back in the 1900’s it was about being free and treated equal. Being free and treated equal meant more to African Americans because they were done with being so discriminated against. They worked so much harder than whites and got little to nothing in return. For example, Langston Hughes’ poem, â€Å"I, Too, Sing, America† is about an African American that gets mistreated. He has to eat dinner away from everyone else when company comes over. He finally plans to stand up for himself by eating at the table no matter what anyone says. His dream was to be free of racism and treated equal. Now days, it’s difficult for people to capture their American Dream. The economy has gotten so bad overtime to where people have to get more than one job to bring in enough income. In reality, your income decides your way of living which is utterly ridiculous. Money shouldn’t have to play such a big role in our lives. I think one job should be enough to buy all the necessities and then some but, unfortunately its not. My mom has 3 jobs with loads of stress piled on her shoulders and it’s still not enough to 100% support us. Her American Dream shouldn’t be about having less stress and more money but should be about her living a happy stable financial life. In other words, the American Dream can mean so many different things but in the end it all related in some way. Everyone wants to be successful with no worries. Not everyone is as lucky as us Americans to have a dream that we at least have an opportunity to achieve. People all over the world dream about coming to America for better lives. If you try hard enough, you may be lucky enough to achieve your dream.

Sex and Death in A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams :: A Streetcar Named Desire Essays

It’s just a little after sun set as Blanche Dubois sets foot off a train in New Orleans. She is visiting her sister, Stella, & brother-in law, Stanley. Well she is actually moving in, because she has lost their family’s homestead, Belle Reve, and as well as her job, as a high school English teacher. Her husband shoots himself after she told him that he disgusted her, because he was homosexual. Blanche is so afraid of her past that she does her best to lead the life of an elegant lady and does her best to keep up appearances. She is an alcoholic, but tries to hide it from everyone. Blanche takes a liking to Stanley’s friend, Mitch. He evenly finds about her past and wants nothing more to do with her. Then Blanche wants Stella to leave Stanley and go with her to leave with a rich â€Å"man† named, Step Huntleigh, who turns out to someone she made up. Stanley rapes Blanche during the time Stella was at the hospital having their baby. She tells Stella about th e rape, but she does not believe her. Blanche becomes deeply disturbed, so they decide to put her in an insane asylum (Williams). Blanche Dubois is a mid-age high school English teacher. She is very naà ¯ve and thinks highly of herself. She has became very promiscuous since her husbands death, which she caused by telling him that he disgusted her because he is homosexual. She puts on the airs of a woman who has never known indignity, even though she has had many lovers and strong sexual urges. She was forced to leave Laurel, Mississippi because of her affair with a young student. Soon after Blanche arrives in New Orleans at the Kowalski apartment and eventually reveals that she is completely destitute. She avoids reality, preferring to live in her own imagination. As the play progresses, Blanche’s instability grows along with her misfortune. Stanley sees through Blanche and finds out the details of her past, destroying her relationship with his friend Mitch. Stanley also destroys what’s left of Blanche by raping her and then having her committed to an insane asylum (Williams). Stella Kowalski is Blanche’s younger sister, about twenty-five years old. Stella left Laurel, Mississippi in her late teens and moved to New Orleans. She then met and married Stanley Kowalski, who is lower-class, but she loves and cares for him dearly.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

The book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which was first published between 1851 and 1852, was written by a renowned anti-slavery crusader and author, Harriet Beecher Stow and it was received with acclamation and was also considered a masterpiece in its time. The author is accredited for writing a book that has been said to be a major contributor of the Civil War. The author herself grew up witnessing the passionate slavery debates and thus she held tight to her abolitionist ideologies. From the onset of the book it is clear that the author generally writes to convince the Northern readership on the need to end slavery. She exposes the horrors of the ongoing slavery that was predominant in the south. Stowe does not shy away from expressing her religious views by emphasizing the importance of Christian love in order to tackle oppression. The author also in this book also propels her feminist’s views and thus portrays women as an equal gender in the society. One of the strengths that the book harbors is the impact it had on the society and also the understanding that one gains of the factors that led to the war. However, a weakness of the book can be found on the author herself since it can be argued that the author’s limited experience of life in the southern area made her to have an inaccurate description of the region. However, looking at the strengths of the book it is easier to see how they outweigh the weaknesses. The book is hailed as one that captures the wild imagination of many Americans and its rich historical context of the events that led to the civil war portrays the book in good light.

Is playing Sports a Good Hobby ?

Sport is identified as a physical activity carried out by human beings usually executed by following a set of rules and principles to ensure fair competition among the candidates. Playing sports and indulging in physical activities aids in confirming various health benefits including comfortable respiration, muscular development, bone strength, advanced life expectancy, and coronary fitness. Playing sports helps in safeguarding the body and prevents it from contracting various types of diseases like cancer.Also, it assists in controlling unnecessary weight gain and depression by diverting the mind in a positive direction. Some of the affirmative effects of playing sports have been discussed below. It is a known fact that regaling in any kind of physical activity leads to a healthy workout and consequently promotes weight loss. Sports acts as a catalyst for the metabolic processes and resultantly increases lean body mass, burns calories and aids in attaining perfect body shape.There i s a lot of variation in the amount of suggested physical work. It is mainly due to the variation in the shape/size of the body of different individuals and amount of calorie input, nonetheless it is remedial for people who are obese. As enumerated by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Weight stability can be obtained if 2-5 hours are invested in playing averagely demanding sports. Playing high intensity sport is extremely significant for people who wish to reduce their weight adequately.It is advised by physicians that people of all age groups must undertake any kind of physical activity or sport as it in helps in cultivating a healthy heart and mind. As delineated by the British Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, about 40 percent of deaths related to coronary heart disease take place due to insufficient physical work, overweight, mental stress and increased blood pressure. Sports can help in dealing with these physical ailments by reducing the contingen cy of coronary disease by almost 50 percent.Decrease in the strength of muscles, bones and joints, is an inevitable corollary of growing old. Aged people are advised to go for regular walks and practice numerous physical exercises so that their body parts are in healthy and working condition. Thus, it can be concluded that playing sports is very significant for people of all age groups and must be taken up seriously in order to maintain a healthy body.

Holistic Science.

Holistic Science. Holistic ScienceThe process of healing through hands-on manipulation is older than any other healing methods. Almost every culture has integrated bodywork into its health care practices throughout history. The evolution of pharmaceutical, surgical, and technological medicine began to diminish the medical use of massage in the earlier part of this century. Massage Therapy was recognized as a profession in the United States in 1943 with the establishment of The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). A Holistic approach to self-improvement was reborn during the 1960's and 1970's. Open-minded generations of the 60's and 70's viewed modern medicine as un-personal and increasingly high-tech. The initial stride towards Holistic health was made by a rebellious bunch that desired a more caring, humanistic approach to healthcare. Although worldwide acceptance of alternative medicine has been a prolonged process, the need for human touch in the healing process has increased in the past ce ntury.Generally, the sorts of people that enter a field relating to Holistic Science are compassionate, open-minded individuals.Holistic View of CommunicationOnce involved with bodywork, people are introduced to a whole new kind of lifestyle. The majority of newcomers to this profession are attracted to its alternative aspects. Straying from the paths of modern medicine seems to appeal to a wide variety of backgrounds. The background of an individual greatly attributes to their chosen profession. A Holistic Health Practitioner is the most common occupation that comes out of the Holistic field. To become a Holistic Health Practitioner, an individual must be motivated and open to other lifestyles. The level of education required is high and the coursework is intense. Holistic healers emphasize the treatment of the whole person and stress the integration of body, mind, and spirit.Several key principles tend to the variety of forms of massage therapy and bodywork. The most basic princip le...

The ugly, the bad and the good - Emphasis

The ugly, the bad and the good The ugly, the bad and the good Some sentences leave you gasping for breath. Try reading aloud this extract from the minutes of a recent meeting of West Lindsey District Council, for example: The Support Services Manager submitted Report 213 advising of progress made in respect of the key tasks which must be addressed by the Council and the guidelines as to when they need to be completed in order that the requirements to introduce Best Value can be met. If youre anything like us, you will have to read it several times to understand what its trying to say. The sentence is too long and would be much clearer written as two separate sentences: The Support Service Manager submitted Report 213 advising of progress made in respect of the key tasks which must be addressed by the Council. It also explains the guidelines as to when the tasks need to be completed in order that the requirements to introduce Best Value can be met. This makes it clearer. But there are still too many redundant words: in respect of; as to when; in order that. And a few passive verbs that make the sentence clumsy and less easy to understand: must be addressed; need to be completed; can be met. A well-placed comma might help too. So lets try again: The Support Service Manager submitted Report 213, outlining the Councils progress on key tasks. The Council must address these tasks within the time guidelines in order to introduce Best Value. OK so its not a sentence thats going to set the world on fire. But at least its quick and easy to read.

The Big Secret to SAT Writing Strategies to Excel

The Big Secret to SAT Writing Strategies to Excel SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've noticed that the SAT Writing section seems to be confusing, that's becauseit's intentionally designed to be that way. But we're going to let you in on something that the College Board doesn't want you to know: there area few key secrets that will help you understand this part of the SAT,and knowing them makes itmuch easier to crack.Read on to learn how to take this section of the SAT into your own hands. In this article, I am going to show you: How the SAT Writing tries to trick you with "normal"-sounding English How the SAT Writing testsunusual grammar and style rules that your English class may not have focused on The top concepts that the SAT Writing testover and over and over again Why this predictability matters and how to use it to your advantage Without further ado, let's dive into one of the number one ways the SAT Writing counts on making you mess up. Everyday English Is a Trap Did you know that the English you speak every day is probably grammatically incorrect?The College Board does,and in fact they were counting on that when they designed the SAT Writing.Each of the sentences below has at least one error. Can you spot them? Kim and me attended the civil rights conference that was held at school today. We discussed the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, debated different modern-day issues, and were talking about freedom of speech. We learned that if someone is different to you, you should respect them for who they are. The SATtests everyday incorrect English to see who knows what "sounds" right, and who actually knows the different grammar rules. There are two main strategies that the test writersuse to do this. The first is that they will give you a deceptively simple-looking sentence that sounds normal but actually has a tricky grammar error. The second is to give you a ridiculously convoluted sentence that hides a simple grammar mistake. They are testing you: can you see through their sentences to the grammatical structures underneath? Let's look at an example. Here is something I recently heard on a well-known televised cooking competition: She sliced the Wellington, and gave it to Nick and I to garnish. Though a lot of people talk this way,it's not correct. Why?"Nick and I" are both objects of the preposition "to", and therefore "I" should be in the objective case- "me". In colloquial English use, you will often hear peoplemisusing pronoun cases. This is one of the many "everyday English" mistakes that the SAT will throw at you. Not sure what a pronoun case is?There’s a guide for that. At other times, the SAT will hide simple grammatical errors in a very wordy sentence. Example The lamb is not properly cooked, and having to apologize to the guests for his mistakes are the most embarrassing thing about participating inHell's Kitchen. If the above sentence just read, "Having to apologize are the most embarrassing thing," most people would immediately spot the error. The SAT adds extra unnecessary phrases and clauses to make these simple error more difficult to spot. Good news! Now that you know the main way that the SAT Writing tries to trick you, you canuse it to your advantage. Remember that you cannot just use your ear to know if a sentence is correct or incorrect. (Unless you have an exceptionally-trained ear, of course! But most people who speak everyday English do not. Remember that the SAT cares about correct grammar over awkwardness.Just because a sentence is phrased very oddly doesn't mean it's incorrect. Look for the same things that you would look for in a more normal-sounding sentence (like subject-verb agreement, pronoun case, etc.) to see if it's grammatically correct. Remember, the SAT doesn't care if something is awkward. This is why it's so important to understand what the SAT thinks is grammatically correct, as opposed to what you think sounds good.Many of these grammar rules you will be familiar with, but other may come as a surprise to you, and that's because... SAT Writing Doesn't Always Test Normal Grammar Rules Some of the rules they test you on seem downright arbitrary, and, in fact, they are. In theory, you will have learned many of the more "normal" rules in your high school English class. As discussed above, though, this doesn't mean that these concepts will be covered in as straightforward a way as you are used to. Other times, however, you will need to learn the SAT's weird "grammar" rules, which mostly focus onstyle, and what the SAT thinks sounds correct!Don't be fooled by these just because they are not the same as what you have covered in class. Here are some of the top stylistic rules the SAT Writing favors: 1. Pronouns must have a clear antecedent. The antecedent is the noun that the pronoun is replacing. On the SAT, the antecedentmust actually be referenced in the same sentence, or a very nearby sentence in the case of Improving Paragraphs. If it not 100% clear - and spelled out - what the pronoun is referring to, it's incorrect in the SAT's eyes. Let's look at an example: Melissa hurried into the theater and tried to find her seat, relieved that it had not already started. Most people would have no trouble understanding this sentence. It's clear from the context that Melissa is relieved that whatever show she is seeing in the theater has not started yet. However, in the SAT's eyes, this sentence would beincorrectbecause we don't have an explicitly-stated antecedent for "it". According to the SAT, the only things that "it" could refer to are either "theater" or "seat" - and neither of those makes sense! 2. Always use "and" instead of other connecting words The SAT Writing also tests you on your ability to state something in themost straightforward and concise way.By their standards, "and" is the most straightforward way to join things together. So, if you see a sentence trying to replace "and" with another connecting word - such as "plus" or "as well as" - it is incorrect. Note that this does not apply to joining independent clauses together for compound sentences. OnlyFANBOYS conjunction can be usedfor that task. Let's look at an example: Amanda took one job in a restaurant plus one in a hotel. This would be consideredincorrect. Instead, try this: Amanda took one job in a restaurantand one in a hotel. 3. Only similar things can be compared We have a whole article on this topic if you want to go into it in more depth. The basic idea is that the SAT only wants you to compare two similar things. Obviously this has nothing to do with being grammatically correct English- it's just the SAT's preference. For example: John's car was newer than Jerry. Grammatically this makes perfect sense: Let's say that Jerry is 30 years old, but John's car is only 5 years old. However, in the SAT's eyes this is a mistake because a car and a person are too dissimilar to be compared. Let's look at another: Kim Kardashian was jealous because her selfies were not as popular as Khloe. Beware of selfie rage. Again, strictly from a grammar point of view, thisis a correct sentence. One might hope that a human being is more popular than a selfie. However, the SAT does not want you to compare Kim's selfies to Khloe; instead, it wants you to compare Kim's selfies to Khloe's selfies. This is how the sentence would look corrected: Kim Kardashian was jealous because her selfies were not as popular as Khloe's selfies. Now we are comparing selfies to selfies, which are two similar things, and therefore this comparison has the SAT's blessing. 4. Don't delete something unless it is redundant This doesn't come up too frequently, but occasionally an Identifying Errors question will give you something like this: As part of his annual payment, he receives a bonus every year. According to the SAT, this kind of redundancy is incorrect. This goes back to our rule of making everything concise as concise as possible - if you have already been told that something happens annually, you don't also need to be told that it happens every year! 5. Be careful ofusing "because" with nouns The SAT Writing will occasionally use two constructions with the word "because", and both of them are considered incorrect. The first is something that has become common slang recently:because + noun For example, to paraphrase a recent Carl's Jr. commercial, We made a disgusting hamburger with a hot dog on top of itbecause America. Better together? This, unfortunately, will never be correct. Similarly, occasionally the SAT will use the following incorrect construction:noun + is because of Let's look at an example: The drought in California is because of the lack of rain. So, how do you make sure you always catch these problems? Whenever you see the word "because", make sure that it is joiningtwo clauses. A clause is something that has both a subject and a verb. Alternately, "because of" can be used as a preposition with a noun object, but in that case make sure that the rest of the sentence makes sense on its own if you get rid of the prepositional phrase! To fix the above sentences, we would say: We made a disgusting hamburger with a hot dog on top of itbecausewe have misunderstood what America needs. Thereisadroughtin Californiabecausewe have had a lack of rain. OR Thereisadrought in Californiabecause of the lack of rain. 6. If more than one answer is grammatically correct, choose the most concise answer that has the fewest extra words. Many students mistakenly think that having more words makes a sentence sound more academic, but this is not the case. The SAT Writing will always be looking to see if you can spot the most direct and concise way of saying something. So when two or more answers are equally grammatically correct, go for the most concise answer. These six rules are important to know, along with the more basic grammar rules that you've learned in school. This is because.... The SAT likes to test the same thing - over and over and over again. Good news! Though the SAT does try to trick you in the ways we discussed above, it'sotherwisevery consistent and easy to predict.It really only focuses on a few different concepts, and will test you on those concepts repeatedly. The below graphs show SAT Writing’s favorite question types grammar rules to test. If you master those main concepts, you will be a step ahead in conquering this section. What does this tell you? Top secrets for Improving Sentences Around ⅙ of the time, the sentences will be correct as is. Many students are afraid to choose this option, or to choose it too often. If you finish this section and you haven’t had any (A) answers, you can assume you probably went wrong somewhere! Over half the questions will test the same four concepts: Wordiness, especially through gerunds, participles, and use of the passive voice. Ifyou see an answer choice that contains a lot of -ing or -ed words, and the same idea is expressed more succinctly and directly in another option, go for the other option. Fixing comma splices, run-ons, or incorrect conjunctions. Therefore, make sure that you understand how to use semicolons to connect two independent clauses instead of commas. Fixing dangling or misplaced modifiers.Whenever you see a clause or phrase describing something, make sure it's next to the thing it’s describing. Using correct parallel structure.If similar ideas can be expressed through similar language, do it! For more information on this, see our guide to parallel structure. What does this tell you? Top secrets for Identifying Errors About ⅙ of the time, the correct answer will be (E), No Error. These questions can occur back to back. Over 25% of the questions are all about verbs: either subject-verb agreement, or correct verb tense/form.Make sure to see our guide all about how verbs are used on the SAT Writing section, and you will be well on your way to understanding this section. One of the other most common mistakes is in pronoun-antecedent agreement.This topic is all about attention to detail - make sure you match up pronouns to what they refer to and check that plural pronouns match with plural nouns. Check out our guide to parts of speech for more info on when to use which pronoun. What does this tell you? Top secrets for Improving Paragraphs Most questions in this section are about how to improve sentences - meaning that you will use the exact same skills that you need for Improving Sentences questions. The other main question types in this section focus on context. In order to understand how to use transitions and where to add or delete info, you need to be able to understand how sentences are working in the paragraph as a whole.This skill is unique to this section of the Writing SAT.For more info about how to master this section, see our guide on how to approach Improving Paragraphs questions. Why does predictability matter? As you have just seen, the SAT writing sectionactually does not cover that many different topics, and very few concepts will be focused on in detail. This means that you canfocus your studying. Especially if you are aiming for a score around 500 - 600, you should focus on learning the most commonly-tested concepts.When you do this, you will soon start to notice that alot of the questions look similar. This is a good thing- it means that you're learning to beat the SAT at its own game! This is why practice is particularly important for this section of the test and can lead to abig score improvement. If you're used to the kinds of questions that you will see over and over, you willimmediately recognize the kind of question you are being presented with. For effective studying, you should work withreal question from past SAT tests.You can find somehere. When you start to notice patterns,write them down.For example, when a question makes a point of mentioning time, it's most likely going to be averb tense question. You will start to notice a lot of patterns like this that will alert you to what kind of question you are getting. This will help you immediately spotwhat the SAT is asking forand will make the questionseasier to answer. Now that you know this, you can... Use the Test to Create Your Strategy Now that you know the SAT writing sectionis going to be very predictable and follow a certain pattern, you can use this fact to your advantage.Create a plan that you can use to attack each question type. Try using the following steps when working on this section of the test: 1. When you read the sentences and answer choices, alwayseliminate any obvious grammar errors first. 2. Next, eliminate any answers that are structurally identical. They can't both be correct, and therefore neither one is correct. 3. Take a closer look at the question, and see if you can find any of themost common errors that the SAT Writing tests.For example, check that subjects and verbs agree, that pronouns have an obvious antecedent that they match in number, that the verb tense is correct, that there are no run-ons, and that parallel structure is used correctly. Going through this list of potential issues will allow you to answerthe vast majority of the questions. 4. If you are still stuck between a few answer choices that both seem grammatically correct,always choose the most concise answer, with the fewest gerunds and extra words. You May Now Dominate the Test Understanding how the test works puts you in a position of power. Get excited - you know the secrets now! Instead of feeling helpless oruncertain about SAT Writing questions, you can confidently attack them, confidentthat you already know everything they're going to ask you. Keep calm and test on. Nerves contribute to careless errors. Because you now know what to expect, you have nothing to fear! What’s next? Now you know what to look for, so go out and conquer the grammar concepts you need to learn. If you want to test yourself, try out some of the most difficult questions you will find on SAT Writing. Aiming for a top score? Read8 key strategies to improve your score, and check out thesetop tips from a perfect scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. 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Will the XM25 replace the M203 Grenade launchers Essay

Will the XM25 replace the M203 Grenade launchers - Essay Example The military denies the rumors, but perhaps it might be better to consider the criteria of reliability, durability and affordability of both systems to prove that the XM-25 grenade launcher will not replace the M203. The reliable old M203 Grenade Launcher has proven itself in just about every corner of the world. Over twenty countries friendly to the United States employ the M203, or a variant thereof. Manufactured by Colt, the M203 has seen combat with the US from the humid jungles of Viet Nam right on through to the present day in the Middle Eastern deserts, along with its newer counterpart, the M203A1 (for the M4). The launcher has proven extremely reliable in all manners of weather conditions and weigh in at light 3 pounds. On the other hand, the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System shows its reliability in its characteristics. It is currently being manufactured by German arms giant Heckler and Koch, in partnership with the US based Alliant Tech Systems (ATK). The weapo n does indeed resemble something futuristic and at fourteen pounds with rounds it is much heavier than the M203. Yet the modern advances of the launcher are incredible. For one thing it has an interchangeable magazine that holds up to four rounds, so single shot is no longer an obstacle. For another, instead of the old-fashioned quadrant sights on previous grenade launchers, the XM25 is fitted with a thermal sight device resembling a scope, with night capabilities. The M203 has showed its durability since it replaced the M79, which was a stand-alone weapon and the grenade launcher was its singular purpose. Recognizing that the grenadier was vulnerable during a firefight, the US Army developed the M203. Its â€Å"over and under† style fit under the standard M16 rifle (and later under the newer M4), therefore giving the soldier the ability to fire grenades at a range of up to 350 meters and still having the small arms capability and reassurance offered by the M16. The grenadier ’s rate of fire for the launcher was hampered only by his own ability to load the weapon, as it fires one round at the time. Its large bore makes cleaning relatively easy and the unit armorer can do most maintenance on the weapon, including disassembly and removal. Eight different forty millimeter grenade types have been developed for the launcher. 1 However it is what the sights are fitted into that makes the XM25 so durable and has the Army gushing as to its valuable assistance in the GWOT. The Target Acquisition Fire Control System (TAFCS) allows the operator to send the round down range with radio controlled precision. For example, grenadier can take out an enemy firing from inside a window, adjusting the range so that the grenade can go through the frame, explode, and still maintain the integrity of the building. The XM25 uses a 25 millimeter grenade system that even includes a thermobaric grenade specific for use in caves, particularly useful in Afghanistan and the laun cher is accurate at ranges of up to 700 meters. Finally, the cost of the M203 is very affordable in comparison to the XM-25. The M203 is only $1800.00 dollars. If combat tests work out with the division, the Army plans to buy 12,500 units of the XM25 in 2012, one for each squad. At over $30 thousand a copy the XM25 is expensive, as are the rounds at $25 apiece. The cost almost doubles from one to the other. This alone is a serious increase in budget cost, and can be a huge dilemma for the economy. Even after all the aforementioned, the XM25 will not replace the M203. Although the 101st grenadiers are so impressed with it they often carry no extra weaponry. Indeed, both weapons will

Emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry to promote quality Research Paper

Emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry to promote quality - Research Paper Example Therefore, in ensuring that nurses embrace this change, a leader should understand the level of social focus in responding to nurses about changing situations. For health institution to be competitive, this change is inevitable especially in the contemporary society where majority are moving to digital platforms. According to Sadri (2012), being emotionally intelligent allows one to build mental health resilience which helps in successfully managing change. In this case, as a nurse, I will use emotional intelligence as an effective tool for communicating change. It is certainly that I will advocate for training of all nurses. Emotional intelligence as a communicating tool will allow me manage emotions of nurses, cope with stress and uncertainty, and influence my leadership style particularly in deciding who, when and how the training will be carried out. The change I am initiating lies on the premise of achieving high standards as a nurse. Therefore, to achieve positive perspective among nurses, I will use appreciative inquiry tool to win over their resistance. In this case, nurses will be in a position to recognize the need for change and open up their minds to the world of discovery. A better understanding as a result perhaps will subject nurses to challenge for new possibilities (Cooperrider & Godwin, 2010). The two skills will help me as nurse to win over the emotions of nurses and make them be part of change which will reduce resistance to change. In the end, nurses will have confidence with that change being advocated thus facilitating positive

Labor Arbitration Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Labor Arbitration Process - Essay Example Another common way of dispute resolution is mediation. It also involves the role of one mediator, but his role is more of a compromiser than a final decision maker. An arbitrator attempts to resolve a dispute by hearing from both management and workers to arrive an amicable solution, which is binding on both parties. The role of a mediator is facilitating the communication between deputed parties to find a solution by themselves in the presence of mediator. Rarely does the mediator exert pressure to accept a solution. Conciliation is another way out for labor problems, but it is more or less same as that of mediation. Today, arbitration is used worldwide as a mechanism of resolving labor problems, and indeed in many other areas. The common forms of arbitration can be defined as below (Arbitration and Mediation): "Compulsory arbitration is a dispute resolution that is required by law. Widely accepted in Australia and New Zealand, compulsory arbitration was practiced by the National War Labor Board during World War II. It is a binding process. Expedited arbitration is a process intended to speed up the arbitration process with an informal hearing and awards generally rendered within five days. It was first used in 1971 in settling disputes in the steel industry. Expedited arbitration was als6 designed as a cost-saving method of dispute resolution. Interest arbitration is the use of an arbitrator or arbitrator board to render a binding decision in resolving a dispute over new contract terms (also called non-justifiable arbitration). Final offer selection arbitration is an interest arbitration process in which the arbitrator or arbitrator board selects either the union or management proposal to the solution. There can be no compromised decisions. This process is also termed either-or arbitration. Tripartite arbitration is a process wherein a three-member panel of arbitrators is used to reach a decision. Both labor and management select an arbitrator and the third is selected by the other two arbitrators or the parties to the dispute as a neutral participant". This essay is an attempt to review the history and future of labor arbitration in the United States, about which there have been many misconceptions. The essay attempts to clarify this much debated issue in a simple and lucid manner and to give an idea about the role of labor arbitration in labor relations. Secondary sources such as internet alone is used to justify the main arguments. History of Labor Arbitration in the U.S. This is a much debates and controversial topic in the United States. There are many misconceptions about the evolution of labor arbitration process in the country. The history of arbitration as a dispute resolving mechanism dates back to English common law and is the oldest form of dispute settlement. There were many instances of the use of arbitration in olden days. Among them the most notable are- "King Solomon was an arbitrator and arbitration was used to settle differences during the Greco-Roman period. George Washington was an advocate of arbitration and, in his will, mandated using the process if disputes arose over his estate. The use of arbitration in labor disputes was a common practice in the late 19th century but developed more rapidly after World War II as a substitute for work stoppages. During World War II, the

The War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The War - Essay Example Prior to Pearl Harbor, Americans were sharply divided as to whether the U.S. should ally with Britain against Germany following the defeat of France. The U.S. immediately began fighting on both European and Pacific fronts fully supported by the American public. Though the Pacific Fleet was crippled by the Pearl Harbor attack, its submarines, aircraft carriers and, somewhat incredibly, the fuel storage tanks, were not damaged. America responded by winning the Battle of Midway then ‘island hopping’ toward Japan. The war in the Pacific theater culminated in the dropping of two atomic bombs in 1945 on cities in Japan affecting surrender (Goldstein & Dillon, 1981). In preparation for possible Japanese aggression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had relocated much of the U.S. Fleet to Pearl Harbor in mid 1940. The Japanese had been fighting a war with China since 1937 to gain desperately needed oil and other materials. What became the countries of the Western alliance stopped trade with the Japanese in July 1941which made the Japanese situation more desperate. Japan felt it had little choice but to capture the mineral and oil-rich regions of the Pacific Rim, Southeast Asia and the East Indies so as to sustain itself. War was the inevitable outcome of these actions (â€Å"Pearl Harbor Raid†, 2000). Frank Beatty, at that time a U.S. Navy Secretary aid, wrote after the war, â€Å"I can say that prior to December 7, it was evident even to me that we were pushing Japan into a corner. The conditions we imposed upon Japan to get out of China, for example were so severe that we knew that nation could not accept. We did not want her to accept th em.† According to a 1944 account of British Minister of Production Oliver Lyttelton, â€Å"Japan was provoked into attacking America at Pearl Harbor. It is a travesty of history to say that America was forced into war† (Perloff, 1986). The Japanese Navy announced internally its detailed

Writing assignment either #1 or #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing assignment either #1 or #2 - Essay Example This group of people does not rely on facts, but by their awareness and have a world full of choices. They have changed the workplace by branding businesses by finding time to surf, check out for good deals at e-Bay, and maintain social networks. Global connectivity is already taking place and has changed the way individuals communicate with other people. The amount of information shared and the speed at which the transmission of information takes place is on the increase. This has led to the high efficiency and reduction of costs. In addition, global connectivity has led to an easier and faster way of connecting with friends and relatives. Individuals also make new friends and new business connections. Online communication support local identities and relationships, therefore making interactions easier among individuals who are mutually aware of each other. Individuals go online to search for research information that they can get in real time information through instant chats. For example, teachers can use this to facilitate discussions in classrooms. On the other hand, students can use the internet as an ultimate online textbook and they no longer need to pick many textbooks from the library. An individual can market a ne w product or service and can spread the advertising through social networking platforms free. The negative implications of global connectivity include the elimination of face-to-face socialization. It is easy to ignore or be rude to other people when having a conversation, but it is easy to filter unwanted people from making connections. Moreover, individuals find harassment, therefore; parents need to filter the internet content through parental control. Lastly, there is the risk of fraud or identity theft where the internet is available to anyone and thieves may steal an individual’s personal information and impersonate persons. Global connectivity has changed the way in which individuals interact and share information. Nonetheless, it

The War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The War - Essay Example Prior to Pearl Harbor, Americans were sharply divided as to whether the U.S. should ally with Britain against Germany following the defeat of France. The U.S. immediately began fighting on both European and Pacific fronts fully supported by the American public. Though the Pacific Fleet was crippled by the Pearl Harbor attack, its submarines, aircraft carriers and, somewhat incredibly, the fuel storage tanks, were not damaged. America responded by winning the Battle of Midway then ‘island hopping’ toward Japan. The war in the Pacific theater culminated in the dropping of two atomic bombs in 1945 on cities in Japan affecting surrender (Goldstein & Dillon, 1981). In preparation for possible Japanese aggression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had relocated much of the U.S. Fleet to Pearl Harbor in mid 1940. The Japanese had been fighting a war with China since 1937 to gain desperately needed oil and other materials. What became the countries of the Western alliance stopped trade with the Japanese in July 1941which made the Japanese situation more desperate. Japan felt it had little choice but to capture the mineral and oil-rich regions of the Pacific Rim, Southeast Asia and the East Indies so as to sustain itself. War was the inevitable outcome of these actions (â€Å"Pearl Harbor Raid†, 2000). Frank Beatty, at that time a U.S. Navy Secretary aid, wrote after the war, â€Å"I can say that prior to December 7, it was evident even to me that we were pushing Japan into a corner. The conditions we imposed upon Japan to get out of China, for example were so severe that we knew that nation could not accept. We did not want her to accept th em.† According to a 1944 account of British Minister of Production Oliver Lyttelton, â€Å"Japan was provoked into attacking America at Pearl Harbor. It is a travesty of history to say that America was forced into war† (Perloff, 1986). The Japanese Navy announced internally its detailed

CAPM Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CAPM - Term Paper Example Since capital asset pricing model is not a valid method, there are alternative methods used instead of CAPM. Alternative method includes weighted average cost of capital plus the tailor made marker risk assessment method. The paper ill illustrate the reason as to why the weighted average cost of capital is a better method/approach than the capital asset pricing model method. A brief conclusion will summarize why capital asset is a biased methodology and present why WACC is a better method in assessing cost of capital. Beta measures investment risk of non-diversified venture. Beta measures risk of an already diversified investment portfolio. Beta risk is the only risk which investors do receive a relatively high return than the risk free interest rate. The beta part of asset serves to measure riskiness in an asset. Beta measures individual asset risks and represents non diversifiable risk part of an asset. Beta of a portfolio is an average measure of all individual betas of an asset. Individual asset standard deviation squared measures risks associated with deviations/fluctuation of asset rate of return over time. According to the CAPM, investors are compensated for taking risk and so as to capture the element of time value of money in valuation of risky assets. The risk free rate captures the time value of money in the above formula.it shows how an investor ought to be invested for putting resources in a certain investment over time. Beta is a measure of risk in the model2. The decision rule in the model is that an investment is only undertaken when the expected return meets required return in an investment3. A security market line shows the relationship between CAPM results and various risks in the capital market. Risky assets are the assets which are traded in the asset market. Risk free assets refer to the process of lending and borrowing of assets with a certain interest rate. The CAPM assumes information on

Understanding Curriculum and Professional Issues Essay Example for Free

Understanding Curriculum and Professional Issues Essay This assignment will explore current views on professionalism in the Lifelong Learning Sector in the UK, and will make particular reference to the impact of professional status on teachers in the Further Education (FE) sector. The paper will examine current policy before going on to discuss; professionalism, continued professional development (CPD), the importance of reflective practice as a professional attribute and impact on teaching. The assignment will also discuss own personal development making reference to subject specialism. Finally professionalism in the sector will be evaluated. Historically Further Education (FE) Colleges were once far removed from the terms ‘professional’ and ‘academic’ and as Spencely (2006 pg 292) reminds us, â€Å"student learning in FE was definitely positioned in the arena of practical skills based training rather than education, this emphasis on training, rather than education, has led a number of commentators to question the existence of the profession of ‘educator’ or ‘teacher’ in the further education sector†. However, FE is now an integral part of the education system and plays a key role in supporting the professional development of teachers in the sector. Even with the ongoing drive to up skill FE lecturers with teacher training qualifications, those in FE appear to be in a continuous flux where recognition of professional status is concerned. Katz, cited in Avis et al highlights this when he states â€Å"Few professionals talk as much about being professional as those whose professional stature is in doubt†. (2009 pg 75) FE has struggled to be recognised as professional, this may be because the majority of teaching practitioners in FE are from a vocational rather than academic background. Currently FE teachers operate within a system of duel professionalism† (Davies 2006) meaning that they have vocational expertise and have gained teacher training qualifications in order to develop as a professional. However, according to Gray and Griffin, â€Å"professionalism of FE has never been homogeneous or particularly well formed in the FE sector† and it lacks the professional culture found in the schools (2000 pg 238). It may be that what Gray fails to acknowledge is the FE sector is not the school sector and it should therefore be different. Since September 2001, it has been a requirement that all teachers in FE colleges should have, or be working towards, a nationally recognised teaching qualification. The original national standards on which such qualification was based were drawn up by the Further Education National Training Organisation (FENTO). In order to receive FENTO endorsement, bodies such as the City and Guilds London Institute (CGLI), which at the time awarded a range of sector-specific teaching qualifications, were required to ensure that the content and outcomes of their teaching qualifications conformed to these national standards. Only teachers with a FENTO endorsed qualification were deemed to meet the national requirement for the profession. As the result of a government policy change, the national training organisations, including FENTO, were replaced by sector skills councils, and responsibility for managing the national standards and endorsing qualifications for teachers in the Lifelong Learning Sector (LLS) was taken over in January 2005 by Standards and Verification UK (SVUK), the standards and verification arm of Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK). This body, which is also responsible for the professional development of teachers in work-based learning and higher education, brought out a revised set of national standards in 2007 following a lengthy period of consultation. These are known as Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) standards; and it is now a requirement that all teachers in the sector, whether full-time or part-time, must have, or be working towards QTLS. This can be achieved by a number of routes, including SVUK-endorsed higher education programmes such as the Certificate of Education (Cert Ed), the Postgraduate or Professional Graduate Certificates in Education (PGCE) The Institute for Learning (IFL) are the driving force behind seeking professional recognition for teachers in FE. The chief executive of the IFL recently announced a major development for the IFL, commenting on Professor Alison Wolf’s recommendation that FE teachers with QTLS should be recognised as qualified to teach in schools. Secretary of state for education, Michael  Gove, has accepted recommendations from the Wolf Report clarifying that there is a need to â€Å"allow qualified further education lecturers to teach in school classrooms on the same basis as qualified school teachers†. (Goodman, 2011) The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) supports the drive to professionalise FE lecturers and states that â€Å"The inescapable conclusion is that it is now time for the Qualified Lecturer Status (QLS) to be replaced by the qualified teacher status (QTS), as the benchmark of teacher professionalism in FE colleges. It is time for lecturers to become teachers.† (ATL, 2011) Although this appears to be progression we could argue that this could be deemed more as compliance with an accepted view of what teacher professionalism is, whereas FE should be viewed as professional and the role of QLS should carry with it professional status. However, when considering current thinking on professionalism in teaching Pollard summarises that good teaching â€Å"requires a large number of implicit and often instantaneous judgements and decisions† often shaped by the ‘community of practice’ to which we belong†. (Pollard, 2010 pg 5) This takes account of classroom management, including relationships, positive learning environments and the ability to be creative and innovative. The ‘Teaching Learning Research Project’s’ ten principles of effective teaching, which form the basis of professionalism in the teaching sector, highlight a set of principles which are evident within the FE sector, clearly demonstrating (from my viewpoint) equity with the school sector. There are a number of issues around the concept of professionalism and obviously meaning here can and will differ according to ones profession. In order to define professionalism we must also consider that interpretation will differ dependent on perspective. Professionalism generally involves both characteristics of self and those of organisations. Professional organisations will have a set of values which will be reflected in working practices in line with ethical standards. However, irrelevant of organisation teacher professionalism is a significant factor as it affects the role of the teacher and their pedagogy, which in turn affects student ability to learn effectively. Teacher professionalism should contain the essential characteristics of, competence, performance, and conduct, all of  which should reflect the goals, abilities, and standards of the organisation for whom we work, and should impact on teaching through the development of these qualities. External drivers such as government policy will and do impact on the status of FE lecturers and along with the recognition of ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ (QTS) will no doubt come even more rigorous inspection of both student and lecturer achievement. The FE sector has continued to grow and in order to support; growth, the shift in education delivery from educators to Government control, and to meet the demands of Sector Skills Councils, the development of professionalism will continue to be a key focus. However, in order to develop this professionalism Hargreaves, reminds us that the existence of a top down education system with limited pay and over standardisation will result in a paradoxical profession. Hagreaves states â€Å"The paradox in the professional life of teachers is illustrated by the co-existence of two seemingly contradictory trends in the development of the teaching profession: standardization of teaching and antipathy to teachers’ professionalization, on the one hand, and higher professional standards and greater professionalism, on the other†. (2000 pg 11) In 2004 LLUK began the process of developing new professional teaching standards for the FE system, in line with the requirements of; Government, Sector Skills Councils, regulatory authorities, awarding organisations and providers. Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, emphasises the importance of professionalism in teaching, Rammel states, â€Å"I believe these standards will contribute greatly to improving quality in teaching, training and learning across the further education system, and provide a key part of the infrastructure that will support the professionalisation of the workforce†. (LLUK, undated) However, this may also create a more rigorous evaluation of teaching standards, as teachers in FE become more qualified, as mentioned previously, expectations will also rise. The new professional teaching standards, with emphasis on specialist subject knowledge, will benefit FE in terms of quality, more importantly it will also provide a better learning experience for students, which when we consider professionalism must be our first concern . However, Avis (2009 pg 76) makes  the point that current thinking on developing professionalism, specifically when considering the detail and length of standards, that â€Å" LLUK standards are in contrast to the equivalent single page of broad statements that cover higher education† the same here applies to schools, it could therefore be suggested that the definition of professional in the FE sector is â€Å"more restricted and prescriptive than in other areas of education† (Avis, 2009 pg 77) This may also apply to continued professional development (CPD) in the FE sector. CPD is increasingly seen as an essential driver in raising the standards of teaching and learning in post-16 education and training. Requirements and processes have been set in place by LLUK and IFL to ensure that every teacher engages in CPD, meaning any activity undertaken for the purpose of; updating knowledge of subjects or developing teaching skills. However, CPD has also become a contentious subject, mainly due to interpretation at organisational level and the associated funding costs of ensuring CPD is beneficial to the lecturer. The IFL requires a commitment from all teachers to 30 hrs CPD per year, upon which teachers reflect, and draw on; learning which takes place, how this is shared and how it supports both one’s own development and outcomes for learners. CPD has been under scrutiny of late with concerns raised over the quality of CPD and whether it is meeting the needs of the individual or organisations. Trorey (2002 pg 2) defines CPD as â€Å"institutional development† which is aimed at improving a whole organisation, often described as â€Å"staff development† and â€Å"professional development† which involves â€Å"pedagogic knowledge and subject expertise†. It could be argued that CPD should encompass a whole organisation culture yet still support the development of pedagogic expertise, which defines the FE sector from the school sector, as the IFL remind us, â€Å"teaching practitioners engage in various forms of professional development throughout their careers, but that often this goes unrecorded†. (Davies, 2006) Here again we can see the influence of the IFL in the drive to support the development of professionalism in the FE sector. However, irrelevant of contention, where CPD is concerned, a commitment to continually update both knowledge and skills of one’s subject specialism and teaching expertise is essential if we  wish to viewed as professionals. Teachers in FE have a great deal of autonomy in their teaching as they are deemed to be experts in their field, therefore professionalism is an essential attribute. CPD should support the development of that expertise. Gray et al (2000 pg 25) states that â€Å"the professional is someone who is continuously developing his or her underpinning knowledge through reflection on their own (and others’) practice†. Therefore the ability to reflect is imperative as without this essential tool we cannot be viewed as professional. Reflection can be viewed as a process of thinking and improving your professional skills and it allows us to focus on positive aspects of practice and build on them. It also helps us to identify areas for improvement. Schon (1983) defines reflective practice as â€Å"thoughtfully considering your own experiences in applying knowledge to practice†. In essence reflective practice means learning from experience, it is therefore an essential element of teaching and supports CPD. Boud et al (1985) defines reflective practice as â€Å"an activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it†. As simplistic as this may sound, reflecting on experience in order to improve requires a level of objectivity in reference to your teaching practice. Therefore unless we are willing to fully partake in reflective practice we may fail to grasp opportunities to improve both our own performance and the learning experience for our students. Clouder (2000) supports this view when he states â€Å"in its broadest sense, reflective practice involves critical analysis of everyday working practices to improve competence and professional development†. Practitioners must ensure that time is set aside to think about our teaching practice in order to evaluate it and make changes where necessary. However, it could be argued here that this relies on a whole organisation culture, as without time set aside by your organisation this could result in even more unpaid work than is already expected. Reflection should therefore be an integral aspect of professional teaching practice. The very nature of education requires teachers to be open to change, as the sector is under continuous pressure to improve outcomes for learners. This compounds the need for reflective practice for teachers, learners and whole organisations. Reflective practice encourages; the sharing of good practice, learning from the experience of others, it can support the planning process and overall encourages collaborative working to the benefit of all involved. Barriers to change exist in all aspects of society and reflective practice is viewed by many as a ‘questioning of their practice’ and some teachers struggle with this concept. However, barriers are often self imposed or they may originate from the culture of organisations, who may themselves have pre-conceived ideas about reflection, which in itself is often a barrier. In the drive to gain professional recognition in the FE sector we must embrace reflective practice as a tool for improvement and progression. Throughout the course we have been introduced to a number of models of reflection such as Schon’s (1983) â€Å"reflection in action† and â€Å"reflection on action†, Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle and Phil Race (2005) ‘ripples’ approach, all of which have been useful in supporting the development of reflective practice. Races (2005) ‘ripples’ model is based on the assumption that the best way to learn is by doing. This is a principle which supports both my specialism and teaching practice, as I firmly believe that students require hands on experiences before moving on to more abstract learning. When reflecting on my own practice, specifically when working with 16-18year olds, this has become evident. Reflective practice requires an open mind, hard work and deep understanding of the benefits in leading to improvements in practice and outcomes. It is only through undergoing a process of reflection and evaluation that we are able to make reasoned judgements about our teaching practice. CPD should be viewed as an ongoing process that; improves capabilities, helps to determine own learning needs and helps us to acquire new skills and abilities. Education in its many forms is a big responsibility and teachers should maintain professional standards as required by the sector, as  ultimately it will help us to gain professional credibility. There are many types of CPD which can be accessed such as, formal training, research, in house training, mentoring and further academic study. Undertaking the ‘Certificate in Education’ has helped me to develop in my role as a teacher, and also to recognise the importance of teaching qualifications. Having come into teaching from a subject specialism background I can clearly see the benefits of CPD in enhancing my teaching abilities and skills, therefore, in order to continue my professional journey my aim will be to achieve QTLS and possibly progress onto the BA in Education and Professional Development.

Structured query language: Development

Structured query language: Development Abstract Database technology and the Structured Query Language (SQL) have grown enormously in recent years. This paper presents results of the research on the historical perspective of the development of SQL and its continuing development. Applications from different domains have different requirements for using database technology and SQL. This paper also presents an overview on definition of the Standard Query Language, and highlighted the several benefits and produce literature on risks of adopting a Standard Query language. Keyword SQL, DBMS, XML, Data, Database. Introduction Standard Query Language (SQL) is today the standard language for relational and object-relational databases. Application programs commonly include a relatively large number of SQL queries and updates, which are sent to the Database Management System (DBMS) for execution. The most generally used database management systems, such as Oracle, Access, mySQL, SQLserver, Paradox, Ingres, and others, are all claimed to be relational. Certainly, they all use SQL which itself is often simulated to be an indicator of a relational database system. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the historical perspective of the development of SQL and its continuing development. This article also highlighted the benefits and risks of adopting a standard query language. This paper is based on review history of the Standard Query Language and literature on benefit and risks of adopting SQL. Evolution and current situation of the SQL Abreu, et.al. (2006) described that the relational model came about as a result of E. Codds research at IBM during the sixties. The SQL, originally named SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language), was implemented in an IBM prototype (SEQUEL-XRM), during the mid-seventies. Some years later, a subset of this language was implemented in IBMs System-R. In 1979, ORACLE emerged as the first commercial DBMS based on SQL, followed by several other products such as SQL/DS, DB2, DG/SQL, SYBASE, INTERBASE, INFORMIX, UNIFY. Even those which had not originally implemented SQL as their base query language, offered SQL interfaces such as INGRES, ADABAS, SUPRA, IDMS/R. As a result of this process, Standard Query Language became a de facto standard. In late 1982, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) H23 begins to standardize SEQUEL which is version of the relational data model through the IBM language. In 1986, renamed SQL by H2, basic SQL was completed and become an American National Standard and soon an ISO standard. In 1989, the first version of the SQL standard was revised and an addendum, which included main improvements on referential integrity issues, was published. Meanwhile, ANSI brought out a standard for embedded SQL. In the early nineties, a new version, known as SQL2 or SQL-92, was published by ISO. Both the semantic capabilities of the language and error management were then considerably improved. That standard was complemented a few years later, with the approval of SQL/CLI (Call-Level Interface) and SQL/PSM (Persistent Stored Modules). SQL became a complete computational language, with features such as control structures and exception handling. During the last half of the nineties, SQL was extended by the inclusion of object-oriented capabilities. The resulting standard was divided into several parts. This version, previously known as SQL3 and then finally called SQL:1999, incorporated features such as new basic data types for example very large objects, user defined data types, recursive query operators, sensitive cursors, tables generalization and user roles. According to Abreu, et.al. (2006), The latest version of the standard is the SQL:2003, which is there are major revisions and extensions to most parts of the SQL:1999 standard. This version contains SQL/XML which is XML related specifications, new basic data types such as bigint, multiset and XML, enhancements to SQL-invoked routines, extensions to the CREATE TABLE statement, there are new MERGE statement, schema object which is the sequence generator and two new sorts of columns for identity and generated. He also produced the Table 1 as summarizes the evolution of SQL. Table 1 Evolution of SQL Year SQL 70s Relational model DBMS prototypes (SEQUEL XRM) First relational DBMS 80s ANSI SQL-86 standard ISO SQL-87 standard SQL-89 addendum ANSI embedded SQL 90s SQL 92 SQL/CLI SQL/PSM SQL:1999 2003 SQL:2003 Accordingto Wikipedia, thereis another standard produced at 2006 and 2008, The SQL:2006 by ISO/IEC 9075-14:2006 which defines waysfor SQL for conjunction with XML. It also defines how to do storing and importing XML data for SQL, manipulating the data on database and publishing SQL data and XML in XML form. In addition, by use of Query and XML Query Language, it can integrate into their SQL code the published by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in order to concurrently access ordinary SQL-data and XML documents. The latest standard is SQL:2008, it legalizes ORDER BY outside cursor definitions. It adds INSTEAD OF triggers and the TRUNCATE statement. Abreu, et.al. (2006) highlighted the SQL:2003 standard is composed of nine parts, which are briefly described in Table 2. The numeration of parts is not contiguous due to historical reasons: some parts have disappeared such as SQL:1999s part 5 SQL/Bindings was included in part 2 of SQL:2003 and other parts are new. The latter resulted either from further partitioning of previous parts such as part 11 was previously included in SQL:1999 part 2 or from the implementation of new requirements, such as parts 13 and 14, dealing with Java methods and XML data, respectively. Since the SQL:1999, the SQL standard has evolved, to support the object-relational paradigm. This paradigm proposes a good compromise between relational and object-oriented databases. The former have a robust data model which is the relational one and powerful query optimization, recovery, security and concurrency mechanisms. The latter incorporate object-oriented mechanisms such as encapsulation, generalization, aggregation and polymorphism, and allow representing more complex elements which are required in several domains, such as CAD, CAM or GIS. Object-relational databases offer the possibility of defining classes or abstract data types, as well as tables, primary and foreign keys and constraints, as relational databases also do. Furthermore, generalization hierarchies can be defined among classes or tables. Table attributes can be defined in a simple domain for example CHAR(25) or in a user-defined class, as a complex number or image. Table 2 Structure and summary of the SQL:2003 standard Part Name Description 1 Framework (SQL/Framework) Overviewof the standard. It describes terms and notation used in the other parts. It also defines the result of processing statements in that language and the grammar of SQL by a SQL-implementation that has been illustrating in the conceptual framework used for other parts. 2 Foundation (SQL/Foundation) Thispart describes the basic operations on SQL-data and data structures. The functional query such as controlling, maintaining, accessing, creating, and protecting SQL-data. It also defines the semantics and syntax of a database language. It deals with the portability of data definitions and compilation units between SQL-implementations and the interconnection of SQL-implementations. 3 Call-Level Interface (SQL/CLI) Itdescribes procedures to execute SQL statements within standard programming language in application written, such the SQL statements will be executed use independent functions. 4 Persistent Stored Modules (SQL/PSM) It defines how the semantics and syntax of a database language has been declare and maintain persistent database language systems in SQL-server modules. 9 Management of External Data (SQL/MED) Extensionsto Database Language SQL is definedfor support management of external data purpose by using data link types and foreign-data wrappers 10 Object Language Bindings (SQL/OLB) Itdefines SQLJQ, which is describes extensions in the Java programming language, for support embedding of SQL statements into programs written. The syntax and semanticsof SQLJ described by this part, as well as mechanisms to make sure binary portability of resulting SQLJ applications. This part also defines a number of Java packages and their classes. 11 Information and Definition Schema (SQL/Schemata) Thispart defines a Definition Schema that characterizes the SQL object identifier, the integrity and structure constraints of SQL-data, the authorization and security specifications associated to SQL-data, the features, sub-features and the support that each of these has in an SQL implementation and also packages of this standard, and an Information Schema. It also includes SQL-implementationinformation and sizing items. 13 Routines and Types Using the Java Programming Language (SQL/JRT) Itdescribes the Java programming language on doing capability of invoking static methods as SQL-invoked routines and SQL structured user-defined types for using classes specified in the Java programming language. 14 XML-Related Specifications (SQL/XML) Thispart describes ways in which SQL also can be used for conjunction with XML. SQL Overview Gardner and Hagenbuch (1983) stated that Relational DBMSs are normally accessed via a data language. In order to allow the DBMS to optimize accesses to the database and to deal with problems related to concurrent access by multiple users, the languages are typically very high level. The SQL is an example of such a language that can be used for that purpose. They also said that SQL statements are non-procedural statements of what data to retrieve, for example the query statements to retrieve employee such as SELECT * FROM EMP , or what operation to perform, for example the query statement to delete some data which is non-queries such as DELETE EMP WHERE NAME = Jones .While simple SQL statements can easily be entered interactively by end-users, the complex sequences of operations required by most applications for example closing the books for the end of month, those are better handled by embedding SQL in a procedural programming language. According to Kuhlemann, et al. (2008) SQL is a database query language used for formulating statements that are processed by a database management system for create and maintain a database. The SELECT statement is the most commonly used by the SQL query which can retrieve data from one or more tables in the database. It can limit the retrieved data using conditional statements in the WHERE clause, the GROUP BY clause can use for group related data and it can limit the grouped data with the HAVING clause; for order or sort data which based on different columns using the ORDER BY clause. He also stated that SQL consists of many statements to create and manipulate database objects. Since its first standardization in 1986, more and more functionality is being included in SQL in each subsequent standard covering a variety of aspects of user interaction. The latest edition of the SQL standard, referred to as SQL:2003, supports various functionality such as call level interfacing, foreign-data wrappers, embedding SQL statements in Java, business intelligence and data warehousing functions, support for XML, new data types, etc. The next standard, called SQL 20071, it will most likely add features like regular expression support, binary and outing decimal data types, materialized views, streaming data support, XQuery support and support for the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and the semantic web. Many researchers have led the huge scope of SQLs functionality to advocate the usage of a `scaled down version of SQL, especially for embedded systems. The hardware limitations such as small RAM, small stable storage, and large data read/write ratio come up from embedded systems. Also the applications where embedded systems are used, for an example such as healthcare and bank cash cards, need only a small set of queries like select, project, views, and aggregations. Kuhlemann, et al. (2008) described that a standard called Structured Card Query Language (SCQL) by ISO considers inter-industry commands for use in smart cards with constrained functionality of SQL. This issue has been proposed to address by some database systems and SQL engines. They are distinguished as `tiny, e.g., the TinyDB2 database system, for extracting information from a sensor network and tinySQL3 SQL engine, which is a Java SQL engine that supports only a few SQL statements like select, update, insert, delete. While the standardization process shows how SQL has increased in size and complexity in terms of features provided, efforts for `scaled down versions show a need to control and manipulate features of SQL. Gardner and Hagenbuch (1983) stated that SQL is a data language designed for use with the relational data model. The executable unit of SQL is the statement, but there are no SQL programs. SQL statements execute in the context of a single enrolled user of the database. The context in which a statement executes chooses what advantages it may exercise on objects in the database. Just only one or two contexts will be absorbed by an application program. Many SQL statements may run within each context. Each statement isdescribed by the DBMS, i.e., prepared for execution. Catrambone and Yuasa (2006) cited in (Smelcer, 1989) described that the Structured Query Language for databases, which sometimes referred to as the ‘‘Standard Query Language, is a command language for relational databases. It was preferred here as the test domain because writing a query with SQL is a relatively complicated task and because the knowledge required to write queries can be fully specified. Moore (1992) said that â€Å"SQL† was once an acronym for the â€Å"Structured Query Language† which was associated with a propriety implementation. When SQL is used to refer to the ANSI standard, it is no longer an acronym, simply a short form of â€Å"Database Language-SQL†. Benefits of adopting SQL Donaho and Davis listed that several features make Standard Query Language at least as good as any other query language currently in use : The basic concepts and syntax of SQL are easy for learned. This short initial learning period can decreases the amount of training required and it also can increases productivity. SQL is a reasonably high-level language. The programmer can write queries without knowing all of the intimate details of the DBMS implementation. For example, a SELECT clause allows the user to identify the needed data without indicating how to access it. SQL associate the data definition and data manipulation languages. Unlike other query languages, SQL uses the same syntactic constructs for definition functions and manipulation functions. This regularity makes the language easier to learn and use. SQL provides the functionality needed for most database applications. That is, the language is powerful enough to do most of the things required in a database application. According to Biggar, Chawla and Meese (2009), other benefits of adopting SQL include: Lower capital and operational costs by reduced IT footprint, easier management, storage platform features and licensing advantages. Improved agility and manageability by isolating application workloads on the storage system, providing heterogeneous storage support, and allowing live automated provisioning of storage. Higher availability by simplified backup and recovery, availability during server maintenance, failover support through physical host clustering, and business continuity or disaster recovery. Hoffer (2009) also stated the benefits of SQL are as follow: Reduced training cost, training for organization can focus one language only. Productivity, IS professionals become more proficient and learn SQL with it from continued use. They can increase the productive, usually programmers can more rapidly maintain the existing program. Application portability, when each machine uses SQL the applications can be moved from machine to machine. Application longevity, when new versions of DBMSs are introduced and the standard of language is enhanced, the applications will simply be updated. Reduced dependence on a single vendor, which may lower prices and improve service because of the market for such vendors can become more competitive,. Cross-system communication, managing data and processing user programs can become more easily communicated. Risks of adopting SQL Maciol (2008) stated that SQL has a row of limitations coming from its foundations such as: It is difficult for defining terms and lists. There is limitation of atomic data. Lack of repetition and iteration. Limited possibilities of data processing control. Lack of deduction possibility. Chan, Lu and Wei (2003) listed the problem while using SQL : Comprehension difficulty : Complex queries are not easy to analyze, usually by another person. The nested maze is quite confusing. This confirms one of the theoretical flaws of SQL not well defined semantics for nesting (Codd 1990). Multiple joins of many tables can lead to uncertainty of the query accuracy. Logical errors are difficult to detect, as compared to 3GLs. Formulation problem : Joins are difficult for end-users. Too many aggregate functions in a single query have led to problems. Use of wrong field and name definition. Unable to format the output as desired. Variables used with wrong variable types, especially for embedded SQL. Performance Response is slow when system does not select the best path to access tables. Database contention occurs by simultaneous accesses A query may need to be broken into smaller queries to speed up processing time. This requires more temporary space. Unclear error message sometimes give wrong impressions. They also stated that usually whenusers encounter problems with SQL, the majority refers to the manual. This also confirms the finding that manuals form a substantial secondary source of SQL knowledge. Mostly prefer try to find the assistance of colleagues or superiors. Only a minority, attempt to query with other languages, while less will try another means, one of which was to try until get it right, to SQL manuals. Brass and Goldberg (2005) highlighted that errors in SQL queries can be classified into syntactic errors and semantic errors. A syntactic error means that the entered character string is not valid SQL. Then there are print an error message because it cannot execute the query by any DBMS. Thus, the error is easy to correct and definitely detected. A semantic error means that a legal SQL query was entered, but the query does not or not always produce the intended results, and is therefore incorrect for the given task. Semantic errors can be further classified into cases where the task must be known in order to detect that the query is incorrect, and cases where there is sufficient evidence that the query is incorrect no matter what the task is. Kiefer and Nicola (2009) observed that the adoption of SQL/XML faces several challenges. When relational legacy applications need access to new XML data, it is often too expensive to convert them from SQL to SQL/XML. Another frequent challenge is to actually write queries and updates with SQL/XML and Query. There are numbers of problem can occur such as: Users need to learn these new languages, which are often perceived as difficult to master. This stems from the differences between the XML data model and the relational data model. SQL/XML involves path expressions that navigate the tree structure of XML documents. To write path expressions, users must know the structure of the XML data in detail. It is not enough to know which data items exist, it is also necessary to know their exact case-sensitive name, namespace, and location within the document structure. But, this structure is often complex, difficult to understand, or even unknown to the user. As more XML documents are accumulated in a database, newer documents may have a different XML Schema than older ones. This requires queries and updates to work across documents for different schemas, which compounds the complexity of writing SQL/XML statements. Also, existing XML queries may need to be changed when the XML Schema evolves. In a hybrid database, where some data is stored in relational format and some in XML format, users need to know which data is in which format before they can write correct queries. Conclusion The SQL (Structured Query Language) is presently available for most database management systems. The SQL:2008 is the latest standard whichlegalizes ORDER BY outside cursor definitions. It also adds INSTEAD OF triggers and the TRUNCATE statement. This paper present briefly overview history of Standard Query Language, it also analyze benefits and risk of adopting SQL. There are benefit of adopting SQL such as lower capital and operational costs, improved agility and manageability and higher availability. There are many risk occur when adopting SQL, but usually the user can easily handle that risks. In future work, it can investigate patterns for SQL queries in greater detail such as analyzing SQL queries from real projects. References Abreu, F.B., Baroni, A., Calero, C., Piattini, M. (2006). An ontological approach to describe the SQL:2003object-relational features. Computer Standards Interfaces, 28, 695-713. Biggar, H., Chawla, A., Meese, L. (2009). The Benefits of Virtualizing Microsoft ® SQL Server ® in Hitachi Storage Environments. http://www.hds.com/assets/pdf/the-benefits-of-virtualizing-microsoft-sql-server-wp.pdf. Brass, S., Goldberg, C. (2005). Semantic errors in SQL queries: A quite complete list. The Journal of Systems and Software, 79, 630-644. Catrambone, R., Yuasa, M. (2006). Acquisition of procedures: The effects of example elaborations and active learning exercises. Learning and Instruction,16 , 139e153. Chan, H.C., Lu, H., Wei, K.K. (1993). A Survey on Usage of SQL. Sigmod Record, Vol. 22. Davis, G.K., Donaho, J.E. Ada-Embedded SQL : the Options. Vii.3-72. Gardner, M., Hagenbuch, B. (1983). Interfacing Apl And Sql. .ACM, 0-89791-095-8/83/0400-0109. Hoffer, J.A., Prescott, M.B., Topi, H. (2002). Modern Database Management. New Jersey : Pearson Education. Kiefer, T., Nicola, M. (2009). Generating SQL/XML Query and Update Statements. ACM,978-1-60558-512-3/09/11. Kuhlemann, M., Saake, G., Siegmund, N., Sunkle, S., Uller, M.R. (2008). Generating Highly Customizable SQL Parsers. ACM, 978-1-59593-964-7/08/03. Maciol, A. (2008). An application of rule-based tool in attributive logic for business rules modeling. Expert Systems with Applications, 34, 1825-1836. Moore, J. W. (1992). Minimizing the disadvantages of embedded sql/ada. ACM, 0-S9791-529-1 /92/0011-0407. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL.

Justice for All Ages Essay -- Justice Philosophy Essays

Justice for All Ages The question of â€Å"What is Justice?† plagued the ancient philosophers and continues to plague the professional and amateur academic philosophers of today. The question is so hard, because it is quite difficult to know where to begin. Socrates1 spoke of justice in relation to the gods, Plato in relation to an individual’s duty in society, and Achilles, in a somewhat indirect way, in relation to honor and loyalty. All three of these men had very convincing arguments about the true nature of justice, but it is impossible to say now, or most likely ever, whether any of them actually got it right. The current goal is to synthesize their ideas with those of Aristophanes, Euripides2, and even Richard Kraut, representing the modern academic philosopher, in an effort to further develop and test the concept of justice. In order to approach this daunting task, it is important which medium is chosen through which to proceed. Following in the footsteps of Plato and Socrates, it seems fitting to do utilize the dialogue format. The dialogue format consists of a conversation in which a discussion ensues, questions are asked, hypotheses are formed and challenged, and hopefully, in the end there is some clearer understanding of the issue at hand. This dialogue takes place on the Isle of the Blessed where the now-immortals Achilles, Socrates, Aristophanes and Euripides live. Lasthenia3, a philosopher from ancient Greece, has brought Plato to the island and, naturally a discussion begins. The discussion, as promised, brings in the ideas of justice from many different points of view and ends with the unannounced entrance of Richard Kraut to add yet another twist. Characters of the dia... ...versity Press, 1998. Euripides. Bacchae. Translated by Paul Woodruff. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1998. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Kraut, Richard. The Defense of Justice in Plato’s Republic. Plato’s Republic: Critical Essays, edited by Richard Kraut. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1997. Plato. Apology of Socrates. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Plato. Euthyphro. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Plato. Republic. Translated by G.M.A. Grube, revised by C.D.C. Reeve. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1992. Vlastos, Gregory. Socratic Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” Essay

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† in the late 1800’s while being treating by the very trusted Weir Mitchell. During this time women were commonly admitted into the care of doctors by their husbands without their given consent. At this time there was very little research concerning Post- Partum Depression. According to the A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia, Post-Partum is moderate to extreme depression women may experience after giving birth. The symptoms include fearfulness, restlessness, and anxiety- all of which are displayed by Jane in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Gilman was advised by Dr. Mitchell to stop writing and rest, only partaking in â€Å"household† activities. She was not to visit with friends or go outside much. Contesting to these rules, Gilman ended treatment with Mitchell and wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† with the hopes of shedding much needed light on the ineffectiveness of his strategies. The mental condition of many women often worsened due the general population’s lack of consideration involving a woman’s outspoken opinion involving the betterment of her own health. Carol Kessler writes in â€Å"Consider Her Ways: The Cultural Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Pragmatopian Stories, 1908-1913,† â€Å"The utopian fiction of Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes on as its â€Å"cultural work† the demonstration that women are not confined to one traditional mode of being–wife/motherhood–but can fill as varied social roles as can male counterparts† (126). Kessler is stating Gilman’s writing is not only a statement against the mental health practices concerning women, but also includes other issues that were dominated by a patriarchal society. Denise D. Knight suggests in her essay â€Å"I Am Getting Angry Enough to do Something Desperate,† that Jane’s behavior at the end is â€Å"an expression of the tremendous rage she feels toward her husband, John† (78). This statement is evidence suggesting that women were well aware of the need for a change involving these matters. Gilman uses the yellow wallpaper to symbolize the psychological, sexual and creative oppression women experienced during Gilman’s contemporary times. Jane’s â€Å"condition† is revealed to the reader at the beginning of the story. Jane has just arrived at the â€Å"vacation† home and is writing secretly since John forbids it. She writes of John, â€Å"You see, he does not believe I am sick!† (Gilman 173). This quote indicates to the audience that Jane’s voice is of no importance next to John’s. Jane continues to voice her opinion about her illness and what she believes could cure her. John blatantly ignores any suggestions she may have concerning her own health, appearing heartless and cold. This is very clear when Jane initially voices dislike for the room with the yellow wallpaper, in which she is assigned to stay. Jane writes, â€Å"I don’t like our room one bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza †¦but John would not hear of it!† (Gilman 174). Gilman allows the audience a glimpse at the symbolism of the wallpaper at this point. Jane mentions her dislike of the room with the yellow wallpaper as soon as she is introduced to it. Upon bringing this discomfort to John’s attention she is sufficed with a promise to replace it. However, John later breaks his promise with the reasoning that they will only be there three months. The creeping feeling Jane experiences concerning the wallpaper symbolizes the mental instability she feels looming over her. John convinces Jane there is nothing wrong with the room and refuses to move her even though she requests he do so. When Jane persists she writes of his response to her, â€Å"But John says if I feel so, I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself† (Gilman 174). Jane is forced to h ide her feelings and worsening condition, as well as her writing. This interaction between the two characters demonstrates how many women during this time period were not to have opinions or preferences. This scene displays the lack of self-expression and freedom women encountered. Creativity in women was not widely accepted in Gilman’s society and was often deemed improbable. In one of Jane’s entries she describes, â€Å"There comes John, and I must put this away he hates to have me write a word† (Gilman 175). This sentence is powerful because the written word is often more powerful than the spoken word. Women were rarely given the luxury of speaking freely, much less writing freely. John’s reluctance to allow Jane to write illustrates the narrow minded ideals men had concerning women. In â€Å"Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper,† Gilman writes that Dr. Mitchell, â€Å" concluded there was nothing much the matter with me, and sent me home with solemn advice to â€Å"live as domestic a life as far as possible,â₠¬  to â€Å"have but two hours’ intellectual life a day,† and â€Å"never to touch pen, brush or pencil again as long as I lived’†(51). Both Gilman and Jane were creative women that used writing as therapy to express what others around them could not understand. Jane’s journal and her writing symbolize the creative talents and intelligence many women were capable of but were forced to conceal. Gilman contradicts the idea of women being married to make great â€Å"mothers† with the statement, â€Å"And yet I cannot be with him† (Gilman 177). Jane is referring to her infant son. The possibility that a woman could want more from life other than to marry and have children was an almost impossible notion at the time. In â€Å"Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: A Centenary† Linda Wagner- Martin writes, â€Å"Of these many conflicts inherent in women’s trying to lead acceptable female lives, perhaps the most troublesome is that of motherhood, its attendant responsibilities, and its almost inevitable loss of self-identity† (52). The A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia sugg ests that a common cause of Post-Partum Depression in women is the decreasing amount of time they have to themselves after having a child. Women of brighter minds were often misplaced in this type of society. Many artists feel an undeniable obligation to their work, often taking time away from their families. It was impossible for artistic women to prosper when their prime purpose in life was to marry and have children. Knight writes, â€Å"Gilman demonstrates how stifling the cult of domesticity was for intelligent women† (78). Jennie, Jane’s caretaker, represents this idea. Jane writes of Jennie, â€Å"She is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession† (Gilman 178). Jennie’s characteristics and tendency to stay out of Jane’s business resembles a fear felt by many women. While it was common for many intelligent women to become depressed due to creative and psychological oppression, fear often quieted any desires for change. It was widely understood that any woman who tried to live otherwise would just as easily end up in Jane’s predicament. Martin writes of the matter, â€Å" The point, obviously, is that society expects women to be fulfilled through motherhood, and that women who question their roles as mothers, who complain or are angry about those roles, are suspect if not beyond human comprehension† (63). In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Jane’s behavior often reflects this idea that women longed for the opportunity to choose their life occupation, rather than being assigned it. Sexual oppression of women is also touched on in this piece. John often goes away for a work and even when he visits, there is minimal physical contact between him and Jane. Judith A. Allen writes in â€Å"Reconfiguring Vice: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Prostitution, and Frontier Sexual Contracts,† â€Å"Gilman shared in a common, international, late nineteenth-century feminist critique of marriage and of other sexual economic contracts† (173). Gilman’s very opinionated statements regarding women’s freedoms clearly extended to their sexual needs as well as emotional needs. While it was often expected for women to stay behind and tend to the children while the men were away at work, it was often overlooked how these physical absences affected them. It was socially acceptable for a man to appease his sexual appetite with other women while he was away, but not for his wife to do the same with other men. This was taxing on many women. When John is visiting Jane one night, he simply scoops her up and takes her to bed, where he reads to her until she is tired and ready for bed. Jane appears to be too ill to confront her sexual desires like many women of the time. Her relationship described with John is surfaced. Since there is a lack of a physical relationship between the two, there appears to be no relationship at all. This clarifies the belief that women were married off to produce children and please their husbands. Once Jane begins taking notice of the wallpaper itself, the tone of the story takes a dive. While the tone of the story begins somewhat light hearted and seemingly harmless, there is still a hint of foreshadowing. It is when Jane becomes obsessed the audience becomes aware of how terrible her condition truly is. It is almost used as a mockery of John’s ignorance throughout the entire story. The narrator writes, â€Å"There are things in that paper that nobody knows about but me, or ever willâ €  (Gilman180). This is when Jane is realizing the figure in the wallpaper in fact is a woman and she appears to be behind bars. The symbolism here is that no one can understand how Jane is feeling, including the other women around her. As time goes on John tells Jane things such as, â€Å"You are gaining flesh and color,† and â€Å"I feel much easier about you† (Gilman181). Rather than asking Jane how she feels, he is telling her. The irony is Jane’s willingness to accept being told how to act, feel, and live. Based on the mockery provided by the narrator, John does not truly understand what Jane needs, considering he, like everyone else involved, does not view women as people capable of reasoning and complex feelings. This idea was prevalent to the society throughout that time period. The phrase â€Å"dear John† is mentioned throughout the story, indicating the importance of John to Jane. As Jane’s condition and obsession with the wallpaper worsen, her strength d ecreases as well. She is forced increasingly rely on others, including John. She writes of John, â€Å"Dear John! He loves me very dearly and hates to have me sick† (Gilman 180). The irony is how little of importance Jane appears to have in John’s life. He has a routine written for Jennie and Jane to follow throughout the day while he’s away. One of the nights he is visiting, Jane writes, â€Å"He said I was his darling and his comfort and all he had† (Gilman 180). These words have an empty meaning. If Jane were the only thing John had, he would have paid more attention to her and realized she was not getting better in the least. This supports the then popular belief that women would be content with simply being told what they want to hear. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† there are statements made against the male physicians that were so highly admired among communities during Gilman’s time. Jane writes, â€Å"John is a physician and perhaps that is one reaso n I do not get well faster† (Gilman 173). Jane is admitting that a woman’s duty to submit to her husband gets in the way of her need to be persistent concerning her health. This observation is ironic and bold. It argues the mockery in the situation. John, as a doctor, is held up to such high standards, yet he has no idea what is really going on with this woman. The story is ridiculing society’s idea of â€Å"intelligence.† John makes the mistake of treating Jane as if something is wrong with her. However, the humor is in the doctors’ inability to figure out that women are simply composed of the same emotional capabilities as men. It is also necessary to pay special to attention the symbolism of name choice in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† John and Jane can allude to â€Å"Jane Doe† and â€Å"John Doe.† If this is the case, both could be identified as of no particular importance to the audience. A Jane or John Doe are unidentified people. Gilman did not feel the need to give the se characters any specific names that would identify them with a particular characteristic or trait. Their situation is unidentified, and their situation was very common for that time. John’s disregard for Jane’s claims of her slow descent into a worsening mental condition was a common practice for doctors regarding women. Often when a woman needed or wanted something, she had no other choice but to acquire the assistance of her husband. In the instance of Jane needing alternative means of medical care, her only hope would have been John. Naturally John did not listen to her protests. Gilman is stating that both men and women should have an equal say in marriage. Kessler writes, â€Å"The ‘partnership’ society that Eisler defines seems already to have been present in the â€Å"pragmatopian† imagination of Charlotte Perkins Gilman as revealed in her turn-of-the-century fiction, especially the short stories: the alternative or partner-oriented gender roles she depicts could be realized or attained then or in the present-day society that we know† (126). There were also many marriages lacking the understanding John clearly does not display. This coincides with the idea that many women who were married to many men at that time experienced the oppression Jane feels and were met with the same ignorance John displays. At the end of the story Jane writes, â€Å"For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything is green instead of yellow† (Gilman 188). This has a childlike feel to it. Earlier in the story, when Jane is trying to talk to John about how she is feeling he replies with, â€Å"What is it, little girl?† (Gilman 181). The last scene of the story describes Jane as this crazy woman, but it has her creeping around the ground like a child. In â€Å"Environment as Psychopathological Symbolism in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’† Loralee MacPikew writes, â€Å"The fact that the narrator’s prison-room is a nursery indicates her status in society. The woman is legally a child; socially, economic ally, and philosophically she must be led by an adult–her husband† (286). One day when Jane is stuck in her room alone, she reverts to her childhood while staring at the wallpaper, giving a description of a vivid memory. She writes, â€Å"I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy-store† (Gilman 177). These behaviors revert to the idea that even as children, females were facing emotional neglect. It also supports the idea Jane was often treated like children by their husbands, posing the question how could she be expected to be a â€Å"good† mother if she herself was not permitted to act like an adult. Gilman’s decision to make the wallpaper yellow as opposed to any other color is interesting. Yellow is often viewed as a neutral color concerning gender. This may be connected to Gilman’s outcry of the belief that women ar e inferior to men concerning creative, emotional, and intelligent capability. Once Jane begins to acknowledge the wallpaper, her descriptions of it become more detailed. She describes it, â€Å"looked at in one way, each breadth stands alone; the bloated curves and flourishes- a kind of â€Å"debased Romanesque† with delirium tremens- go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity† (Gilman 179). The words â€Å"delirium tremens† (Gilman 179) indicate how the wallpaper concurs with Jane’s worsening condition. Colors have often been known to manipulate a person’s mood. Following this belief, yellow is known to promote communication. This is an ironic symbol, considering John did not listen to Jane in the least. There are many times he overlooks her feelings or statements. At the beginning of the story Jane claims to feel something strange about the house. When she brings this to John’s attention he says what she â€Å"felt was a draught, and shut the window† (Gilman 174). Clearly John’s inability to listen to Jane discourages her to speak of anything at all to him. In â€Å"Consider Her W ays,† Kessler writes, â€Å"By refusing to accept definitions of traditional â€Å"male† and â€Å"female† roles, and instead of offering clear alternatives to such mainstream notions, Gilman forces readers to question boundaries defining behavior assumed acceptable on the basis of gender† (126). This statement supports the notion that Gilman believed that both men and women should share all household responsibilities, including working and raising children. The satirical symbolism at the end of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is astounding. It does a great job of surprising and shocking the audience. It leaves this image imprinted of a crazy lady taking a bite out of a bed and creeping around her husband. Once Jane believes she is the lady inside the wallpaper, she writes, â€Å"and I don’t want to have anybody in, till John comes. I want to astonish him† (Gilman 187). At this point her anger is apparent. The narrator is clearly pointing fingers at who is to blame for her current predicament. She is comparable to a child throwing a tantrum. It’s almost as if Jane is assuming the behaviors of a role she has been given, which is no different than what she does from the beginning of the story. She does what she is told. However, John often refers to her as everything but a woman. Naturally this mentality was bound to catch on. Jane also had no other means of escape from her world. John refused to allow her to go anywhere. It was almost as if she were a child being grounded. When children are forced to stay inside they use their imaginations as entertainment. To do this is human nature, and Jane is no exception. There is also attention to be paid to the bars described in the wallpaper. Jane writes, â€Å"at night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars!† (Gilman 182). The bars symbolize all the oppression felt by Jane. As the progression of Jane’s condition worsens, the appearance of the bars becomes more prominent. Once Jane discovers the bars, she notices the woman in the wallpaper, â€Å"The outside pattern, I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be† (Gilman 182). This quote refers to the unawareness John and other men of the time displayed concerning women. Gilman is making a statement against how obvious it is that Jane knows what she needs more so than her husband. This scenario was common among many women during that time period. It is also an outcry against a woman’s inability to practice self-expression. Once Jane decides to try and help the woman escape from the wallpaper (and becomes the woman herself), she peels off all the paper so she cannot be put back. Once John gets into the room she says to him, â€Å"’I’ve got out at last,’ said I,† in spite of you and Jane! And I’ve pulled of most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!’† (Gilman 189). This statement could be interpreted as Gilman’s creative self being defiant against the rules set up by a patriarchal society. While this last scene can be understood as haunting and disturbing, it almost seems as if Jane is getting the last laugh in the end. Her husband who is â€Å"successfully† a physician has failed his own wife. Jane’s road to insanity was brought on by her husband’s â€Å"trusted† tactics. Shortly after the story was published, Weir Mitchell was forced to re-evaluate his tactics used on â€Å"mentally unstable† women. There were many patriarchal barriers facing women when â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written. Gilman does an extraordinary job of displaying the horrors that resulted from this complex and delicate subject. The image of a woman behind bars in yellow wallpaper could not be more appropriate to convey such an important message. This short story demonstrates the feeling of entrapment and misplacement many creative and intelligent women felt during Gilman’s time. The yellow wallpaper is a strong symbol of a declaration of independence, creativity, and self-expression in a society where such notions were much too often withheld from the female population.